The Enchanting Isabella
by IcyWaters
Summary: Señora de la Vega is the shining light in the lives of her husband and son. When her flame goes out, her family must grieve the loss of the woman they love. Based on the Walt Disney Zorro series.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This story is based upon characters appearing in the Walt Disney Zorro television series. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. I don't own 'em, I'm just a fan wanting to keep the spirit of a favorite show alive.

Author's Note: Special thanks to Inuvik for her encouragement and feedback. :-)

* * *

**The Enchanting Isabella**

"_Diego, your mother was a wonderful woman, but as for the rest of the family… ha!"_

—Alejandro de la Vega, "The Gay Caballero"

**Chapter 1  
"First Impressions"**

"I fold."

"I see your bet and raise you twenty pesos."

"Count me out. I fold."

Alejandro de la Vega looked at the three queens in his hand. If only he had their sister, too, it would boost his odds of winning. He studied the man sitting across the table who upped the wager.

From the moment Alejandro and his brother joined the póquer game an hour ago, Estevan de la Cruz had not stopped chattering. His euphoric boasting did more to whittle the number of players from seven to four than the actual loss of money. Estevan took particular interest in the two exotic Californios who found their way to one of the seedier establishments in Barcelona.

After inundating them with questions about their homeland, the man recited a long story about the history of the game they currently engaged in and an even longer story of the origin of the coins they played with. He did not hesitate to offer his opinion on the liquors they drank or to throw in a few tawdry tales of the barmaids he was better acquainted with.

Worst yet, this braggart won the last four hands.

Now, Estevan was oddly quiet, though he still wore that annoying smirk. He was bluffing. Alejandro was certain of it. Remaining stone-faced, he tossed twenty pesos into the pile. "I call."

A frown flashed on his opponent's features. "Two kings."

Spreading his cards on the table, Alejandro grinned. "Three charming señoras."

"Good show, mi hermano." Cristóbal slapped him on the shoulder as he collected his winnings.

The player sitting to his left, an older caballero named Cecilio, gathered the cards and passed them to Estevan. Alejandro stacked his coins and stroked his goatee while waiting for the deal. The door to the musty tavern creaked open, allowing a stream of sunlight to peek into the darkened interior. He anted up and glanced at the entrance to spy three rough hombres enter.

Estevan botched the shuffling and paused.

"Come on, Señor, deal," Cecilio urged.

"Sí, we do not have all day," Alejandro added, growing impatient.

Estevan chewed his lower lip and glanced sideways. He pushed the deck away and raised his chin. "I am sorry, Señores, I cannot continue. I refuse to play with a man who cheats."

Alejandro's eyes widened and he felt a rush of blood to his ears. Bolting to his feet, the screech of the chair scraping on the floor echoed in the now silent sala. "Who are you calling a cheater?"

"I saw you sneak a card from the sleeve of your jacket, de la Vega."

The Californio's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "How dare you!" Snatching his gloves, he rounded the table and slapped de la Cruz on the cheek. "I demand satisfaction, Señor."

Estevan nodded. "Very well. We can meet out back."

With a hand resting on the hilt of his sword, Alejandro strode toward the rear exit of the tavern making certain the scoundrel trailed behind him. He did not put it past this de la Cruz to run the other way. A barmaid balancing a tray loaded with steaming hot plates emerged from the kitchen right into his path. He stopped and motioned for her to continue. "After you, Señorita."

As Alejandro bowed, he felt a shove on his back and went stumbling into her.

Two firm hands held him upright and he managed to catch the young lady before she fell. He made sure she was not hurt and sent a nod of thanks to Cristóbal. His brother's face paled and he realized he did not hear the dishes crashing to the ground.

With an unsettled churn in his stomach, Alejandro peered around the sala and discovered where the hot meals landed. A giant of a man covered in food and wearing a furious scowl slowly rose to his feet. Alejandro gulped. The man towered over his athletically built, six-foot tall frame.

"You should watch where you step, de la Vega."

He spun his head around to see Estevan chuckling.

"This is all your fault, de la Cruz! You pushed me!"

A large hand grabbed him by the shoulder. The giant's deep voice matched his girth. "Are you going to apologize, Señor, or must I teach you a lesson in manners?"

Alejandro inclined his head as best he could. "Apologize to the man, de la Cruz."

"You are the one who soiled this fine caballero's suit," Estevan replied.

"I am warning you, de la Cruz!" Alejandro caught a glimpse of motion from the corner of his vision. He twisted to see a fist drawing back and aiming straight for his face. Unable to squirm loose, he closed his eyes and waited for the impact. Instead, the crack of splintering wood reverberated and the vise-like grip on his shoulder released.

Cristóbal smashed the giant over the head with a chair.

The man's tablemates sprung from their seats. Much to the de la Vega brothers' dismay, they were even larger than their amigo. Punches flew. Glass bottles shattered as they made contact with thick skulls. Furniture cracked under airborne bodies.

Alejandro ducked the fists directed at him, delivering a few punches of his own in return. Seeing one of the brutes approaching his brother, he jumped on the attacker from behind and entangled him in chokehold. Whistles sounded from afar and before he knew it, the civil guard snatched him down. He let out a groan of pain as a uniformed officer pinned him to the ground.

With the fight subdued, the participants were hauled into a wagon. Alejandro scanned his fellow brawlers. To his relief, his brother managed to slip away unnoticed, but to his ire, one other face was conspicuously absent.

Where was Estevan de la Cruz?

* * *

"It is about time you got me out of that jail cell!"

Alejandro shrugged into his jacket and adjusted his cravat.

Cristóbal laughed as they exited the courthouse. "You are fortunate I had the foresight to gather your winnings when you left in a huff to duel with de la Cruz. Without that tidy sum, I would not have been able to pay your fine today." He handed the sheathed rapier to his brother.

Alejandro grabbed the prized weapon and secured it to his waist. "Did you explain to the magistrado how that scoundrel started it? How he made baseless accusations about my character—against a de la Vega no less—and how he pushed me?"

"No, I did not." At the incredulous glare, Cristóbal grinned. "I did not wish to risk upping your fine. The magistrado's son is on the University of Barcelona's fencing team."

"Bah!" The irate don stormed down the street, finally slowing at a busy corner.

"You are my big brother, Alejandro. You are supposed to set an example for me. I do not think Father would approve of his first born son's jail stint."

"You dare not tell him, Cristóbal. If you breathe one word—one single word—I will keelhaul you over the side of a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean."

"My, my, jail has changed you, mi hermano."

Alejandro growled. "I still demand satisfaction from de la Cruz. We must find him."

"Oh, that reminds me," Cristóbal rubbed his chin, "Estevan and I ran into each other evading the civil guard. He agreed to meet you at the gardens east of the La Ribera district tomorrow morning."

"Perhaps he possesses some scruples after all, though I reserve final judgment until tomorrow." Alejandro peered down the different streets. "From what I know of him, he may not show." His brow narrowed. "Since when are the two of you on a first name basis?" He waved a hand to cut off an answer. "Oh, forget I asked. I am not in the mood to discuss de la Cruz anymore."

His stomach grumbled and he noticed the lengthening shadows cast from the buildings. Hues of pink and orange colored the sky. "It must be nearing supper time. Let us go find someplace to eat, eh?"

"Did they not feed you in jail?"

Alejandro gritted his teeth. "Oh, shut up."

"Jail has had an effect on your sense of humor, too," Cristóbal teased. "My joking aside, it is a good idea. I have not eaten since those terrible tapas at the tavern. There is supposed to be a good café on the next block." He smirked. "The secretary I paid the fine to recommended it."

Alejandro rolled his eyes and began to cross the street when a horse and carriage barreled around the corner. The wheels hit a puddle and splashed the don. The woman driver appeared not to notice. He threw his hands up in frustration. "Madre de Díos, can anything else go wrong today?"

Cristóbal's chortle filled the air and he pushed his brother to the café.

An hour later, the fine wine and excellent food had soothed Alejandro's temper. He laughed with his brother over their antics in the fight. "I still would like to know how you escaped."

"Truth be told, I am not so sure myself," Cristóbal chuckled. "I heard the whistles, so…"

Alejandro followed his brother's gaze as he trailed off. An attractive señorita at a neighboring table batted her eyelashes and blushed from behind a fan at the younger de la Vega.

"I did not see her arrive, Jandro. Did you?"

"No, but she seems quite taken with you."

"I would not want to deprive her of my company. Wish me luck," he said, tossing his napkin on the table and patting his brother on the shoulder.

Alejandro shook his head. "Good luck." He topped off his goblet and relaxed. Whiffs of spices from the kitchen tinged the air. With the glass to his lips, he observed the citizens of Barcelona from the patio. Dusk settled in as the sun sank lower on the horizon and shopkeepers began illuminating lanterns outside their shops. Couples young and old strolled along, pausing to glance in the windows.

"May I join you?"

He jolted at the feminine voice, stunned more by the boldness of this woman than her catching him off guard. Alejandro scrambled to his feet. When he saw her face, his mouth fell open, but no words sprouted forth. He could only stare at her beauty.

Sparks of amusement filled the young lady's hazel eyes. She wore her dark brown hair tucked into the latest style at the nape of her neck. From the cut of her clothes, she was a woman of means. She could be no older than twenty, yet comported herself with a grace far beyond her years.

"May I join you, Señor?"

"S-Sí," he replied, mentally chastising himself for his bumbling ways. Alejandro pulled a chair out for his guest. She rewarded him with an enchanting smile that made his heart beat faster. He offered her a glass of Rioja, but she declined.

"I am sorry for splashing your suit."

He stiffened. "That was you?"

"Sí, I was in a hurry. You might say it was a family emergency of sorts. I will gladly reimburse you for the cost to have it cleaned. It is the least I can do." She started to open her reticule.

"Nonsense," Alejandro refuted, reaching across the table to stop her. "It was merely an accident."

"You are most understanding. I thought I had been introduced to most of the dashing young caballeros in Barcelona." At his curious gaze, she further explained, "My father is eager to marry me off. Yet I have not seen you before."

"I am visiting from Madrid. I attend the university there."

"Do students from Madrid always spend their days playing cards in Barcelona taverns?"

Alejandro gaped at her. "How did you know–?"

She flashed another dazzling smile. "Allow me some secrets, Señor."

The besotted student would allow her anything she desired. "I am in your lovely city for the fencing tournament. We were permitted a day to go sightseeing."

"Judging from the exceptional hilt on your hip, I presume you do it justice."

"I trust I do. I am the capitán of my team." Alejandro could not resist boasting in front of her just a little, as he ran his fingers along the curve of the weapon's handle. They had won their last dozen matches. "This was a gift from my father three years ago, bestowed upon me as I departed for Spain."

She leaned forward. "Where are you from, if I may inquire?"

"My family has a rancho in the Pueblo de Los Angeles in Alta California."

"You are a long way from home." She regarded him carefully. "Perhaps I will join you in a glass of wine." Alejandro hailed a server and secured a fresh goblet, along with a new bottle of Rioja. "You must get lonely being so far away from your family and friends."

"Sí, I do miss them, but my brother is also attending the university." He pointed to the neighboring table where Cristóbal chatted with a señorita. "This is his first year of studies."

Her eyes twinkled at the mention of his family and it irked him that he could not read her. It struck him then that he did not even know her name. "Where are my manners? We have not been properly introduced." He stood and bowed. "I am Alejandro de la Vega, at your service, Señorita."

She offered her hand and he kissed it. "I am Isabella de la Cruz."

His brow narrowed. "De la Cruz?"

"Sí, Estevan is my brother. I understand you two are acquainted."

Alejandro slumped into the chair. "Of all the scoundrels to be related to…"

Isabella giggled. "Estevan is not that bad. In fact, he is the reason for my tracking you down this evening." She took a small sip of wine. "I wish to apologize on his behalf for the incident at the tavern."

"Is he not man enough to make his own apologies?"

"He deserves such insult. I will not argue on that point." She leaned forward with her elbows on the table. "Estevan is a bit of a rogue, perhaps even more so than my other brothers–"

"Other brothers?" Alejandro straightened. "How many do you have?"

"Three all together," she replied, her eyes filling with mischievous sparks. "Close your mouth, you look silly. As I was saying before you interrupted me, Estevan possesses a noble heart. He is playful and means no harm, but sometimes his antics get him into trouble. When they do, he tends to avoid confrontation. He deplores violence."

"He has a fine way of showing it," he huffed. "He called me a cheater!"

"Shh, keep your voice down. You are drawing attention." She peered at the neighboring clientele and shook her head. "I must apologize for that, too. By chance, did you notice three men entering the sala before he made that accusation?"

"Well, now that I think about it, sí, a few patrons did enter."

"Estevan engaged in a friendly horse wager with them last week. When he lost, he did not have his part of the wager on his person, so he offered his rare French King François II doubloon in exchange for settling the bet."

"Wait," he waved his hand, "there are no such things as King François II doubloons."

"You know that and I know that," she grinned, "but those men did not."

Alejandro massaged his temple. What a scoundrel!

"They must have stumbled across Estevan this afternoon. He did not want to get into a scuffle with them, so he accused you of cheating as a way to escape out the back unharmed. My brother would have explained the situation to you… or at least I hope he would have."

"Ha! It still does not excuse him of the fact he made baseless allegations against my family name." Alejandro held her stare. "If you are here to talk me out of dueling him, you are wasting your time."

"No, I am here for no such thing."

His brows shot to his hairline. "Then why are you here?"

"I trust the duel is to first blood?"

"Sí, I have no intention of killing him," he paused, "yet."

Isabella's sweet giggle filled the air. She twirled the stem of the goblet in her fingers and peered over the rim. "I wish to make a request of you, Alejandro de la Vega. If you best my brother, slice on him on the ear for me."

He blinked hard, wondering if he heard her correctly. "You want me to cut him?"

"Nothing too deep, just a scratch," she clarified. "If you cut his finger or hand, he will milk it for months and find himself in even deeper trouble since he will feel free of the burden of self-defense. A small slice on the ear will serve to annoy him."

Alejandro grinned as he considered her words. "I like it already." He regarded her with curiosity. "You said earlier you splashed me due to a family emergency. Did this involve Estevan?"

"You are catching on quickly. Those men caught up to him again. One of our mutual friends informed me Estevan was seen running in the alleys a few blocks from here. I came to his rescue."

"He is fortunate to have such a beautiful protector."

Isabella blushed. "It is nothing. You would do the same for your brother."

Alejandro chuckled, knowing it to be true. "Will you permit me one more question?" At her nod, he continued, "How did you know where to find me?"

"The jail has terrible food and this is the nearest café. I translated Estevan's description of the two Californios he tangled with and deduced the handsome young man in the burgundy suit was the object of his earlier scheme."

Alejandro frowned. "What do you mean by _translated_? What did he say about me?"

She bit her lip and stifled a laugh. "You are already scheduled to duel. Let us leave it at that." Isabella stood and bowed her head. "It is getting late and I should be returning home, con permiso."

He jumped to his feet and offered his elbow. "May I escort you?"

"Gracias, but I came with a friend. Our carriage is waiting around the corner."

He watched in bewilderment when Isabella stopped at the table Cristóbal and his smitten señorita occupied. The women exchanged a few words and then left together. His brother stared after them until they were out of site before rejoining Alejandro.

Cristóbal slumped in the chair. "What happened? I thought we hit it off."

Alejandro shrugged, not sure how to explain it. He was not so sure he understood it himself.

"And who was the señorita you chatted with?"

A dreamy expression formed on the older de la Vega's features. "She is my future bride."

* * *

Hands clasped behind his back, Alejandro paced the open area in front of the stone bench where his brother made himself comfortable. "Why does it not surprise me de la Cruz is late? I take back what I said yesterday about him possessing some scruples."

Cristóbal gazed up. "Calm down, mi hermano, he will be here." He let out a long sigh. "Must you keep going back and forth, in and out of the sun? You are making me dizzy. Not to mention you are going to wear a hole in the ground."

"He must own a watch." Alejandro snickered. "He probably relieved it off some unwitting fool." The don abruptly halted and checked his inner jacket pocket.

"Oh, your watch is safe. You had it at breakfast. Remind me never to accuse you of cheating."

Alejandro ignored him and checked the time. "We are to be at practice in a little over an hour. If de la Cruz is waiting for me to forfeit, he is sorely mistaken!"

Cristóbal stood and pointed at the approaching figure. "I believe that is him."

"It is about time," Alejandro snapped when his opponent got within earshot.

"You are in a sour mood this morning." Estevan motioned to the greenery surrounding them. "I doubt you even took a moment to enjoy the beauty of the trees or the singing of the birds."

His face flushing with anger, Alejandro's fingers curled into fists at his side. Cristóbal leaned closer and whispered into his ear, "Do not let him rile you, mi hermano. It is exactly what he wants."

It was good advice. He nodded his appreciation. "Let us get this over with and you can enjoy the trees and birds all you wish." Alejandro shed his jacket and cravat and unbuttoned his sleeves. He unsheathed his rapier and narrowed his eyes. "Where is your second?"

"I am here to settle our disagreement," Estevan replied, "I need no second."

A small crowd began to form around the duelers.

"Very well," Alejandro raised the blade in a salute, "En garde."

The blades conversed in a flurry of attacks and blocks. Alejandro tested his opponent, knowing full well Estevan did the same. A series of quick parries and ripostes ensued. He executed a feint, grinning when the scoundrel deflected it with a quick flick of the wrist.

De la Cruz had more skill than he anticipated.

The blades slid together, clashing at the hilts. "You are not bad for a Californio," Estevan quipped. They pushed off and allowed some distance between them.

Circling one another, Alejandro grinned. "You are not so bad yourself." He lunged. The harmonious clanging of fine Toledo steel filled the park. Sweat beaded on their foreheads as the duel pressed on.

In the flurry of activity, Alejandro spied an opening. He caught de la Cruz's blade, drove it out of line and snaked inside to slice his ear. Estevan yelped and dropped his sword. Cupping his ear, he glared at his challenger. "What did you do that for?"

With a sly grin plastered on his lips, Alejandro accepted a handkerchief from Cristóbal and dabbed his neck and face. "Your sister asked me to teach you a lesson."

"Isabella?"

Cristóbal jumped forward. "Do you have another sister?"

"No," Estevan grumbled. "I should have known she would get involved. Did you know she tried to wield a sword once and cut my lobe? It's how she got the idea." He sank onto the bench still holding his wounded ear. Pulling his hand away, he groaned.

"Here," Alejandro offered him another handkerchief and sat down beside him.

Estevan arched an eyebrow and accepted it. "Gracias."

The observers began to disperse, leaving the three men alone. Estevan stroked his chin and gazed at the de la Vega brothers. "I suppose Isabella explained what happened yesterday."

"Sí," Alejandro replied, "Right down to the King François doubloon."

"No hard feelings, eh? I was only having a little fun."

"You fought admirably." Alejandro focused on tying his cravat. "Our score is settled."

Estevan's eyes glittered. "You are a little sweet on my sister, are you not?" When Alejandro did not offer a response, he scooted closer. "To show I mean well, I would be honored to help you. Our father is eager to marry my sister off, but she is as stubborn as a mule."

Alejandro adjusted his shirt cuffs. "So I have noticed."

"All of the caballeros bring her roses. After a while, every bloom looks alike. If you really want to find the path to her heart," he lowered his voice as if confiding a secret, "bring her a large bouquet of wild gladiolus. The pink and purple ones are her favorite."

"Wild gladiolus?" Alejandro's brow furrowed in confusion. "They… they are weeds."

"One man's rubbish is another man's treasure, Alejandro." Estevan patted him on the knee. "When we were children, we visited our grandmother's hacienda several times a year. Each spring, the fields would bloom in a dozen hues, rivaling a rainbow. Isabella spent hours frolicking in the blossoms."

"I do not know…" Alejandro chewed his lower lip and looked to Cristóbal. "Isn't that what the farmers outside Madrid burned a few months ago? They said something about them being invasive and thorny."

Cristóbal shrugged. "I did not pay attention. Weeds are of no interest to me."

Estevan patted Alejandro's knee again. "Think of them not as weeds, but as wildflowers. Wrap the bouquet in a fancy ribbon or a colorful piece of parchment if you must."

"I shall give it further consideration. We must be going now. Adiós." He bowed and motioned for his brother to come. They dare not be late for practice. When they reached the facility, Alejandro stopped Cristóbal on the stairs. "Do you think he is telling the truth about the flowers?"

"Estevan seemed sincere enough. There is only one way to find out."

* * *

Plump vegetation crunched under his boots. Bumblebees landed on petals to drink sweet nectar. Alejandro swatted a few of the buzzing pests away as he scanned the foliage for his target.

In the peak of the afternoon sun, the low hills off the Mediterranean coast glistened with flecks of dazzling color on rich greenery. Following the duel with Estevan, the young don spent the remainder of the day engrossed in hours of fencing drills. A pensive mood settled in over supper, capped by a sleepless night. As a new day dawned, he woke with the same subject at the forefront of his thoughts.

Should he present Isabella with a bouquet of wild gladiolus?

Something about the idea niggled at him. She was the epitome of an elegant señorita. To present her with what amounted to a bundle of weeds seemed tasteless at best.

Yet here he was combing through a field of wildflowers. On the trail, he constantly peered over his shoulder to make certain no one saw him. While dismounting, he scanned the hills one more time. Alejandro felt utterly ridiculous.

Sidestepping the nightshade, he spotted some milk thistle and frowned at how ornery it looked. It reminded him of the discussion he had with Cristóbal at breakfast. His brother made the astute observation roses were riddled with thorns. They attracted pests and could be prone to disease, yet they were regarded as a symbol of love.

It helped to reaffirm his decision. So, after morning exercises with his teammates, Alejandro freshened up in his quarters and headed straight for the stables.

Blooms of pink and purple caught his eye. A lopsided grin spread on his lips and he knelt to cut the stems. He straightened and regarded the bouquet in his hand with a raised eyebrow.

It looked like a bundle of weeds.

He cut more stems. With two dozen in the bunch, he secured them together with a ribbon. Alejandro sighed. It still looked like a bundle of weeds. Shaking his head, he returned to his horse.

"No!" he cried, as the stallion tried to eat the blossoms.

Alejandro swatted his mount's nose, gathered the reins and swung onto the saddle. Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the de la Cruz estate. A servant showed him to the patio before disappearing inside to notify the señorita she had a guest. He surveyed the shrubbery for wild gladiolus while waiting.

"Señor de la Vega, it is a pleasure to see you again."

Spinning at the sound of her voice, he tucked the gift behind his back. "The pleasure is all mine." As he bowed, his heart thumped in his chest and he briefly wondered if she could hear it. "I bring you a gift." He presented the flowers with a grand flourish.

Isabella bit her lip and accepted them. "Gracias, Alejandro. They are… nice."

She did not seem nearly as thrilled as Estevan said she would be. "They are wild gladiolus. I understand the pink and purple ones are your favorites as they remind you of visiting your grandmother as a child." Alejandro watched in confusion as she raised a hand to her mouth and fought a laugh.

Mischievous sparks shone in her eyes. "Did Estevan tell you that?"

His gritted his teeth. "Sí."

"Oh, Alejandro," her giggling filled the air, "I am sorry, but it is funny. Sí, these grew in the fields behind my grandmother's estate, and they were beautiful, but they made me sneeze."

"That scoundrel!"

"Please do not be angry with my brother."

"Why should I be angry with him? He only wanted to make a fool of me!"

"Bringing flowers to a señorita is never foolish. I am flattered you thought of me. They are lovely, Alejandro, and so fragrant." To demonstrate, she raised the blooms to her nose and promptly sneezed.

"That scoundrel!" Alejandro did not wait for her reply. His cheeks flushing with anger, he stormed out the gate, leapt on his horse and set out to make Estevan de la Cruz pay.

One hour and three taverns later, he pushed open the door of the next establishment he encountered. His eyes adjusted to the shadowy interior and he scanned the sala. He heard the distinctive voice before he located its owner.

"Aha, I win again."

Alejandro fought a twitch as pointed at the corner table and yelled, "You!"

Estevan's head snapped up. In one swift motion, he scrambled to his feet and swept his winnings into his hat. "I am sorry, but something has come to my attention. Another day, Señores." He made for the rear exit when a firm hand grabbed his arm. "Oh, Alejandro, it is you."

"You have some nerve, de la Cruz." He reached for the gloves at his waist.

Estevan snatched them from his grasp. "Must we go through this nonsense again?"

"Nonsense? I have never been so humiliated in all my life! Wild gladiolus you told me."

Estevan's booming laugh reverberated off the walls. "You actually picked weeds for my sister?"

Alejandro reached for his hilt. "That is it, de la Cruz! I am going to run you through this time!"

"Put that away." The scoundrel wrapped one arm around the Californio's shoulders and cradled the peso-laden hat to his chest with the other. Alejandro glared at this rogue who dared touched him. "Calm down, my friend. A man who has not suffered humiliation is a man who has not truly lived." Estevan guided him toward the bar. "Your best brandy, Innkeeper."

With a gentle shove, Alejandro sat on the stool and downed the drink in one gulp.

"Are you feeling better?"

"If you are asking if I still want to run you through, the answer is yes."

Estevan grinned. "You hoped to make an impression on Isabella and you succeeded." He motioned to the innkeeper to refill the glass.

"It is not the impression I desired to make."

"I did not lie to you yesterday, Alejandro. I consider you my friend and I never lie to a friend. At the urging of our father, every eligible caballero in Spain has called on my sister. They all bring roses." He snorted. "Most settle for the same old red while a few exhibit courage by selecting white or pink blooms. Not one of those potential suitors has won her affections."

"Well…" Alejandro grumbled. He downed the fresh drink. "Gladiolus makes her sneeze."

"Oh, I had forgotten about that." Estevan patted the Californio on the back. "Permit me to apologize for my little prank. I meant no harm. To show you how sorry I am I shall make it up to you." At the dubious gaze, he raised his hand. "Honest."

"Somehow, I do not trust you."

"I deserve that." Estevan lowered his head. "I will explain my little joke to Isabella tonight. Tomorrow, stop by the hacienda and bring her a box of chocolate-covered strawberries. She cannot resist them."

Alejandro narrowed his eyes. "What is the catch?"

"There is no catch. I am not advising you to buy hemlock, Alejandro, but harmless strawberries and chocolate. Purchase them from whichever confectioner's shop you wish."

Alejandro pondered the other man's words, searching for an ulterior motive. He detected no malice in them. Besides, Isabella did say her brother was the playful sort and meant no harm with his antics. "Gracias, Estevan. I accept your apology."

"Thank you, Alejandro. With your permission, I will rejoin my póquer game now."

He watched the roguish caballero take a seat at the corner table when an 'ahem' drew his attention. The gruff-looking innkeeper rubbed his fingers together. Alejandro pivoted on the barstool and gestured to Estevan whose rowdy laugh filled the sala once again. With a sigh, he extracted his purse and tossed the proprietor a few coins.

* * *

The confectioner arranged a dozen of the chocolate dipped treats inside the distinctive box. With a knowing smile, he offered one to the nervous young Californio. Never before had Alejandro tasted such a sweet and firm strawberry. Isabella was in for a truly special surprise.

He offered his sincerest thanks to the candy maker and paid. His sprits renewed, Alejandro mounted his stallion and rode to the de la Cruz hacienda with the gift in hand.

Upon arriving, he tucked the box under his arm and entered the gate. The same servant he met the previous day now showed him to the open-air courtyard at the center of the hacienda. Alejandro took this as a good sign. Estevan remained true to his word and took responsibility for the weeds.

"Buenos días, Alejandro."

He bowed to the señorita. "Buenos días, Isabella. I wish to apologize for my behavior yesterday."

"There is no need for an apology. My brother has that effect on others."

Alejandro chuckled, the humiliation from their prior encounter drifting away. "I am honored you took no offense. To show my gratitude, I have something for you." He presented the box.

Her eyes lit up and she raised her fingers to her lips. "You went to Señor Acosta's shop for me?" At his nod, she ran closer. "Gracias, Alejandro. He makes the finest chocolate-covered caramels and nuts."

His brow furrowed. Caramels and nuts?

She opened the lid and reached for a chocolate. Just as quickly, she withdrew her hand. Amusement twinkled in her eyes, adding to his state of confusion. His sheer bewilderment only served to induce a fit of laughter.

He glanced inside the box expecting to find someone—namely Estevan—switched the contents as a joke. He did turn his head for a moment while browsing some other pieces of candy in the shop. Yet he gazed upon a dozen large strawberries covered in chocolate.

"I do not understand, Isabella. What is so funny?"

She regained control of her emotions. "You spoke to Estevan again."

He gritted his teeth and felt his pulse quicken.

"I thank you for this gift, Alejandro, but I am allergic to strawberries. They give me a rash."

"That scoundrel!" His body twitched with uncontrolled rage. Estevan did it again. He even thanked the rouge for his help. "I am going to run him through." He turned and stomped toward the door.

"Wait," Isabella ran after him and grabbed his arm.

His eyes fell on the decorative box. Through clenched teeth, he asked, "Those are his favorites, are they not?" She nodded. He snatched them from her grip. "I am not courting your brother!"

"Alejandro," she called out again, chasing him to the patio.

"I shall return shortly with your favorites." He swung onto the saddle.

She flashed a wry grin. "I would prefer you bring them by tomorrow."

This caught him by surprise. "Tomorrow?"

"Sí, if you are available, I would like for you to take me riding. It will also allow you time to hunt my brother down and teach him a lesson." Isabella winked. "Only this time, do not take his advice on courting me. From now on, approach me when you have questions."

Alejandro stared at this woman before him in awe. His anger faded and his expression lit up with a big smile. This enchanting Señorita Isabella de la Cruz stole his heart. He vowed to marry her so she could keep it forever.

* * *

Long, slender fingers entwined with his rougher ones, stirring him from his reminiscing. He raised his head to find alert hazel eyes studying him with their customary twinkle of mischief. It both delighted and unnerved him to observe that same look in their son.

"What has you so preoccupied, mi marido?"

He raised her hand to his lips for a kiss. "I was thinking about how we first met."

"To think I married a man who brought me weeds." Isabella's sweet giggle filled the bedroom and she tugged him closer. "Lay next to me, Alejandro." He needed no further encouragement.

Alejandro rose from the chair at her side, circled the bed and sat down next to his wife. As he swung his legs on to the mattress, she cried out, "Your boots, Alejandro, your boots!" With a sheepish grin, he perched on the edge of the bed and pulled them off. "How am I supposed to teach our son to be civilized when his father has the manners of a boar?"

He scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her so she could nuzzle against his chest. "Diego gets his wild spirit from his mother, not me."

She eyed him curiously. "What has he done now?"

"He, Audre and Emilio convinced Sergeant Garcia to join in one of their games by chasing them in the hills. His horse returned to the cuartel alone. Garcia arrived an hour later on foot. The boys have remained tight lipped as to what transpired."

"Oh, our little rogue. He reminds me so much of–"

"Do not say it, Isabella."

She chuckled. "I was going to say his father, not his uncle." He frowned, doing his best to appear offended and failing miserably. "Do not give me that look. Your parents told me about your childhood antics."

"That was different."

"I would like to see you try explaining the difference to Diego." She snuggled closer and played with the ruffle of his sleeve. "Since you were recalling how we first met, I must make a confession. I have kept a secret from you, Alejandro."

His brows perked up. "Oh?"

"Remember how Mother and I traveled to Madrid? I told you then she had planned on the trip for quite some time. The truth is I convinced her to make it at the last minute. I could not stand to think of all those señoritas flirting with you at the university."

"If you had not come to Madrid, I would have found you again in Barcelona."

She lifted up and kissed his cheek. "I take back what I said about you being a boar."

Alejandro pulled his beloved wife closer and wrapped his other arm around her waist. He remained there until she drifted off to sleep. Her shallow breaths made him shiver. Her svelte figure felt even thinner in his embrace than it did a few days ago. Tears stung his eyes.

Deep down, he knew the day neared when he would never hold her again.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Enchanting Isabella**

**Chapter 2  
****"Lasting Memories"**

Isabella de la Vega awoke to the sweet scent of citrus blossoms. The balcony doors were wide open and the drapes pushed to the sides fluttered in the breeze. She rolled over in bed to find her son sitting in the chair at her side, his nose deep in a book.

"Buenos días, mi hijo."

He put the story down and smiled. "Buenos días, Mother."

She pushed up on her arms, silently cursing the weakness that consumed her body. She was so tired. Diego jumped to help by fluffing the pillows behind her. "Gra–" She gasped. Alejandro told her of the bruise their son sported, but it did not prepare her for the sight of the ugly black eye marring his handsome face.

"What happened, Diego?"

He slumped in the chair and shrugged. "Nothing."

"If it was nothing then you would not have that dreadful bruise." While her son was determined to carry himself with a strength and wisdom far beyond his twelve years of age, it did not stop her from coaxing the truth from him. Diego would forever be her little boy. She took his hand in hers. "Tell me, mi hijo, what did you fight over?"

He pursed his lips together. "Felipe, Mateo and Joaquin trapped Benito between their horses. They called him a half-breed and all sorts of disparaging names. I warned them to stop. That is when Mateo pulled out a whip and tried to strike Benito."

"So you intervened?"

"Of course," Diego replied. "Benito is my friend. I am not going to let anyone hit him and call him names. Audre and Emilio were with me. We gave those devils a fight to remember."

Isabella sighed. She only hoped the other boys looked worse than her son and his friends, though she dared not voice that aloud. Diego needed no encouragement. "I am glad you stood up for Benito."

He arched a disbelieving eyebrow. "Then why do you sound disappointed?"

"I can never be disappointed in you, mi hijo. I just do not like you fighting."

Diego raised his chin and squared his shoulders, looking every bit like his father. "A caballero must fight to uphold his honor and the honor of his friends and family."

"That may be true, but even if you grow up to be the finest swordsman in all of California, you cannot duel every man you encounter over each infraction you witness." Seeing that her son did not comprehend, Isabella squeezed his hand. "You will not always be able to solve every problem with your fists or with a sword. Diego, you must also utilize your wits to diffuse a situation."

He crinkled his brow in confusion.

She tried a different tactic to explain. "Your father possesses all the traits of a proud lion. Others in the pueblo look to him for guidance and he is quick to charge into battle to fight for what he believes in."

Diego tugged his ear and blushed. "He also has a mighty roar."

"The whole jungle cowers when Alejandro the lion roars." They shared a laugh. "But there are also other animals in the jungle, and different animals in forests and in deserts. Just because the lion is the king of the jungle does not make him perfect. Sometimes, mi hijo, instead of clothing yourself in the skin of a lion, you must put on that of a fox."

"I do not understand."

"Do you remember the last time we visited the pueblo together?"

"It was earlier this year," his voice quieted, "before you got sick."

"Sí, it was." She ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair. "When we did our shopping, we saw those two new soldiers assigned to the pueblo trying to hurt Don Cornelio's house servant, Chita."

Diego frowned. "They were dragging her behind the alley."

Her features grew solemn. "No woman deserves to be treated that way, regardless of her station in life. You must promise me, mi hijo, that you will never abuse a señorita in such manner."

"I promise, Mother," Diego replied, puffing out his chest, "and I will stop any man that does."

"You make me proud." Isabella smiled, tousling his hair and tapping his nose. "I could have run into one of the shops and alerted the proprietor, but since the assault involved soldiers, they may not have taken action. We could have rushed across the plaza to the cuartel and alerted the commandante, but in the meantime, there was no telling what those men would have done to Chita."

"So you pretended to her patrona."

"Exactly," Isabella reaffirmed. "The soldiers did not know who she worked for. If I had roared into the fracas like a lion, they may have hurt me too." Diego shivered. "Instead, I put on the skin of the fox. By chastising Chita for shirking her chores, I was able to get her away from those men. Then she was able to alert Commandante Linares."

Diego's eyes glittered with mischief. "You also told me to loosen their saddle cinches while you further distracted them. Even the commandante laughed when he arrived to find them on the dirt."

Isabella shared his amusement. "They deserved a little humiliation."

"That is fine for girls, but I am a man. Men settle their battles with swords."

"Fine for girls?" she repeated, rolling her eyes. "What would your father have done if he were with us?"

"He would have charged into the fracas, saved Chita and challenged them to a duel."

"Sí, he would have," she agreed, "and I have no doubts he would win, but do not forget, Diego, these were soldiers. Interfering in military matters can be a serious offense."

"Even when they are hurting a señorita?"

"Sí, even when they are hurting a señorita." Isabella's heart filled with joy as she regarded her son. He would carry on the honor of both the de la Vega and de la Cruz legacies with aplomb. "Commandante Linares is a fine man and an excellent soldier. He is also a good friend of our family, so he would not take offense to your father intervening to save Chita. But what if we witnessed a similar scene while visiting another pueblo or our commandante was not such a noble officer?"

"It is still the duty of a caballero to protect a señorita."

She shook her head. Diego was noble beyond reproach. "The caballero can also choose to use his wits and not his fangs, just like the fox. As I was saying earlier, there will be times you cannot use your fists or a sword to settle your problems."

Diego flashed a wide smile. "Then I will be the fox when the lion will not do."

Isabella laughed. "That is my cunning offspring. Now, let us get started."

Diego scrambled to his feet and gathered the game board and box of men from the table. He placed them on the blanket next to his mother and started to sit cross-legged when Isabella stopped him. "Diego, your boots! How many times must I tell you?"

She hid a wry grin when he offered her a sheepish blush. Like father like son! She stifled a yawn as he shed his footwear. Soothing Diego's concerns, she urged him to set up the chessboard. Their afternoon matches were a highlight of her otherwise monotonous day. After fainting on the patio two weeks ago, Doctor Avilla prescribed complete bed rest and limited visitors.

The doctor had not even departed when Alejandro instructed one of the older servants to tend to his wife's every need. Isabella enjoyed Ernesta's company for the first day or two, but spending each waking minute with the woman staring at her was too much! She persuaded her husband to position the woman on the veranda outside the door.

Much to Isabella's pleasant surprise, she found Diego sitting at her bedside each day when she awoke from her afternoon nap. They began playing chess. When Ernesta checked in on her patrona, she was stunned to find the boy present. At first, Isabella suspected her son snuck past her snoozing warden.

Ernesta kept sharp watch for the young de la Vega while Diego continued to sneak in unobserved. It evolved into a game. Savoring his each triumph, Isabella began to fear her son climbed over the balcony, but he promised his mother he did nothing dangerous. Growing up with three brothers, she allowed her mischievous son his secret, though it did not stop her from puzzling over the mystery.

One day as he left her quarters, he turned at the door and saluted in a gesture eerily reminiscent of his paternal grandfather. It reminded her of a night over twelve years earlier. Heavily pregnant with her only child, the night was warm and she could not sleep. Alejandro snored next to her, dead to the world, so instead of disturbing him, she waddled down the stairs to the library where she found her father-in-law enjoying a glass of Madeira.

Alejandro's mother and father gave her a warm welcome upon their arrival in Los Angeles, yet the aristocratic Don Diego de la Vega made her nervous. He was a leader everyone in the pueblo looked up to and was a most imposing presence. Deep down, she fretted if the roguish de la Cruz daughter was worthy his oldest son.

As she turned to allow him his solitude, he sprung to his feet and helped her into the most comfortable chair. They talked until the wee hours of the morning. He regaled her with tales of Alejandro and Cristóbal's youth. It seemed the de la Vegas could give the de la Cruzes a run for the title of grandest rogues.

Diego also told her about first settling the rugged lands of California and how they built the hacienda with a network of secret passages in case of an Indian uprising. Thankfully, they never had to use them. She meant to ask her husband if he played in these tunnels as a child, but her little one decided then to make his entrance into world and the subject faded from her mind.

Isabella had forgotten about those passages until now. She suspected her husband did, too, since their son's mysterious ways of moving about the hacienda also confounded him.

Diego finished placing the chessmen on the board with the ebony pieces on his side. She bit her lip to keep from chuckling. He did have an affinity for black. She moved a pawn forward two squares. He matched the move.

"I bested Father at chess the other day."

"I do not doubt it. Your father would make for a fine opponent if he only possessed the patience." Isabella maneuvered her knight. "Perhaps you can teach him where I have failed."

They continued playing and chatting over the latest events, pausing only when Cresencia entered with a tray of cheeses and olives. "Ah, Don Diego, you won me a wager with Ernesta," the housekeeper winked, "She was certain you did not sneak in here today." She handed them each a plate and a drink.

He beamed and Isabella shook her head. As much as she wanted to say that face was all Alejandro, it reminded her more of Estevan. Their son would be a wonderful rogue one day.

* * *

Bounding up the stairs with the mail in his hand, Alejandro entered his wife's room and chuckled. "It is no wonder that our son defeats me at chess when he has you for a teacher."

"You would be his equal if you listened to me," she teased.

He took a seat in the chair pulled to her side and watched their battle of wits. "A ship must have made port in San Pedro recently. We received several letters today. This is from your brother, Estevan."

Diego's eyes twinkled at the mention of his uncle, unnerving Alejandro. He noticed too much of the devious de la Cruz blood in his son. "Is he coming to visit us?"

"I am afraid not, mi hijo. He is currently touring Italy. So far, you uncle has explored Milan, Genoa and Florence. At the time he wrote this, he was on his way to Rome. It seems he got into some trouble in Florence while romancing a widowed baronessa–" Alejandro paused and cleared his throat.

Diego moved his queen and gazed at his father. "What happened?"

Alejandro shifted uncomfortably and looked to his wife for help. She feigned innocence, leaving him to find an answer on his own. "When you are older, mi hijo."

"You always say that," Diego frowned, "I am twelve."

"It is not old enough," Alejandro admonished. He shuffled the letter to the bottom. "We also received a letter from your Uncle Cristóbal. He and his family are planning a trip to Los Angeles later this year."

Diego's mood perked up. "Julián is coming?"

Isabella laughed at their son's exuberance. "It has been a long time since you last saw your cousin. I cannot even imagine the trouble you two can get into now." She moved her bishop and glanced at her husband. "It will be delightful to see them again."

Alejandro noticed Isabella's sluggish movements and hidden yawns. "Diego, supper will be ready soon. Why do you not wash up?"

"May we finish our game, Father?"

"Oh, do not worry about that. You have me beat in three moves if you so desire." At his bewildered expression, Isabella showed him the sequence to his victory.

They shared a laugh when he quipped, "I am better than I thought."

Diego put the chess pieces away, kissed his mother on the cheek and proceeded to his bedroom. Alejandro closed the door to their quarters and sat on the edge of the bed. His wife's ashen skin tone and the dark circles under her eyes worried him. Since the day she collapsed on the rancho and the doctor diagnosed her with this dreaded cancer, he refused to accept it.

Isabella did not look or act sick in the previous months. She remained her radiant happy self. Not until these past couple of weeks, after she fainted on the patio, did this disease truly begin taking its toll...

He wrapped his fingers in hers. "How are you feeling?"

She crinkled her nose. "Is that your way of telling me I look horrible?"

"Such a thing could never be, mi amor."

"Gracias, mi marido. Your words know the way to a woman's heart," she grinned, "even when your method of courtship is a little unconventional."

Alejandro snorted. "That is entirely Estevan's fault."

"Do not be that way," she admonished as she took the letters from him. "Estevan is rather fond of you. It is why he decided to help that hotheaded Californio win his sister's affections."

"Help? Your brother would gladly help me over a cliff."

"You can act that way all you want, but I know you are also quite fond of him. It's why you never ran him through with your sword," she winked, "and why I married you." Isabella smiled as she read the letters. "It will be nice to share tales with Celestina about the wayward de la Vega men we married. I wonder if Cristóbal gives her as much trouble as you do me."

When she covered another yawn, his stomach knotted. "Tell me, Isabella, how do you really feel?"

"I am tired, Alejandro, so tired. I have never felt so weak."

"Why did you not tell Diego? He would understand you need to rest."

"Rest?" she repeated incredulously. "For two weeks, I have been cooped up in this room. I take every meal in bed. On good days, I sit in the chair to eat or read. I look forward to playing chess with our son. It does not tire me. Besides," a tear trickled down her cheek, "I know my time with him is short."

"I will have no such talk!"

Swallowing hard, Alejandro stood and escaped to the balcony. He ran his shaking hands along the stone balustrade while observing the gardens below. "Speaking of wayward de la Vegas, I spoke to Ernesta on my way in. She thought you were alone." He sighed and returned to her bedside. "There are no trees outside large enough to climb, nor is there a trellis. Diego could break his neck climbing up to the balcony."

"He has already promised me–"

"I know, I know," he waved a hand, "he promised you he is not doing anything dangerous."

"I trust our son, Alejandro." She traced a finger along his cheek. "You must trust him, too."

"I do trust him, Isabella, but he is reckless. I worry we have a son who possesses no sense of fear. He has yet to meet the obstacle he cannot tackle. He races horses at lightning speeds. I swear he is trying to outrun the wind. Not a day goes by that I do not picture him jumping Diablo Canyon. I am tempted to forbid it now, yet I am afraid it will only serve to put the idea in his head."

"What brought about this change in heart? You are always the first to encourage Diego in his wild pursuits and continuously bragging to your friends of his accomplishments. Do you not recall starting him fencing when I was concerned he was still too young? We had quite an argument."

"Sí, it is the only time I ever won a war of words with you," he quipped. "This is different, Isabella. I…" With tears welling in his eyes, Alejandro turned away from her inquisitive gaze, unable to voice the thought that haunted his nightmares. _I cannot bear to lose him, too._

Isabella took his chin and forced him to meet her eyes. "You will not lose Diego, mi amor."

She read his mind, just as she had always done. One corner of his lip curled in a smile and he kissed her hand as she wiped his tears away. "He gets his wild spirit and insatiable curiosity from his mother. It is the fault of that de la Cruz blood in his veins."

"Gracias, mi marido," she laughed, "You can pay me no higher compliment."

"On the topic of insatiable curiosity, we still have one issue to settle. If the turmoil in Spain ends, do we send our son to the university in Madrid or Barcelona?"

Isabella's fingers played with his cravat. "I want for our son to carry on the de la Vega tradition and go to Madrid, just as his father, uncle and grandfather did." Impish sparks danced in her hazel eyes. "I only hope he does not end up in jail so many times like his papá."

"Diego need not know about that for quite some time," Alejandro remarked, "if ever."

Her melodious giggle filled the room. They sat in comfortable silence until she stared at him with a level of determination he had not witnessed recently. "I am going to join you downstairs for dinner tonight."

He gaped at her. "I-I do not think that is a good idea."

She folded her arms over her chest. "Did the doctor say I am contagious?"

"No."

"Then there is no reason to keep me quarantined like I have the measles."

Alejandro sighed. Estevan was right about one thing. His sister was as stubborn as a mule. He could argue with her, but he also knew he would lose. "Very well, mi amor, I will send some attendants to help you prepare."

"I wish for you to help me."

"That is hardly proper." The words no sooner left his mouth than a devilish grin formed on his lips. "But then you have never been one to obey the rules of propriety."

"Have I been that much of a scandal to you, Alejandro?"

"Never," he reaffirmed, moving to the wardrobe, "although I was rather embarrassed when Nacho caught us during one of our midnight outings to go skinny dipping a few years ago."

She giggled again and blushed. "I remember how you could not look him in the eye for over a month."

"You never glimpsed that smirk he gave me." Alejandro tugged at his cravat, feeling warm. He surveyed the myriad of dresses. Married for fourteen years and he still did not have the faintest notion toward women's fashions. "Which gown do you want?"

"Any of the blue ones. You always did prefer me in blue."

He selected a dress in a darker hue. As he shut the wardrobe, he caught a reflection of his wife pushing the covers aside and swinging her legs out of bed in the mirror. She trembled and gasped for breath. He ran to her, dropping on his knees. "Isabella, are you all right?"

She inhaled a series of deep breaths. "Sí, I am fine."

"We should not do this."

"I am going downstairs with or without your assistance."

He relented. As he helped her undress and get into the blue gown, she inclined her head. "Did you ever stop and ask yourself why Nacho was on our property at such a late hour?"

Alejandro furrowed his brow. "No, but now that you mention it, I am curious."

Isabella pressed her fingers to her lips. "Luisa confided in me how they used to sneak out to the lake, too. The one on our rancho was closer to their hacienda and provided more privacy."

Alejandro felt his face flush. "They didn't!" At her nod, he frowned. "To think of the grief he gave me!" He sank onto the edge of the bed and wrapped an arm around his wife. "One day, Diego may take his own wife to that lake. Would it not be funny if we all encountered each other there?"

She snuggled against his chest. "You know that will not happen, Alejandro." His body shivered and she held him tight. "Alejandro, promise me that when I am gone–"

"I told you I will have none of this talk!"

She straightened and looked him in the eyes. "Alejandro, please, you must promise me that you will not pull away from Diego." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I was with you when your mother died and then when your father passed away. You do not cope with your grief. You pull away from those you love and throw yourself into the rancho, building that blasted fence."

"Isabella, I-I…"

She pressed a finger to his lips. "Our son will need you more than ever. Please, Alejandro, promise me you will be there for him. My greatest fear is that he will be alone."

Tears welled in his eyes when he realized she spoke of the day she would not be here. The day he did not want to believe could ever dawn. When they married, he always envisioned them having a hacienda filled with children and living to ripe old ages with surrounded by their grandchildren's exuberance.

Never did he picture a day without her at his side.

"I pr–" The words caught in his throat. "I promise, Isabella."

She snuggled against his chest again. Her tears soaked his shirt. "Also promise me that you will spoil our grandchildren enough for the both of us. Tell Diego to name his first son after his father for me."

"I will," he whispered. Utterly helpless, he buried his face in her hair and held her tight, never wanting to let her go. He refused to believe the diagnosis and now it hit him like a bucket of ice-cold water.

Don Alejandro de la Vega was powerless to save his beloved Isabella.

* * *

Diego's expression lit up when his mother joined them for dinner. Alejandro's earlier misgivings vanished when he saw the joy radiating from mother and son. They chatted about the rancho and the latest goings-on in the pueblo. As the meal wore on, Alejandro watched his wife with an increasingly worried eye.

The simple task of holding the silverware seemed to tire her and she only nibbled at her food. He moved to help her, but one firm stare from her hazel eyes put him back in his chair. That was her stubborn mule side. Even Diego noticed her frailty and exchanged a worried glance with his father.

Alejandro offered him his best reassuring smile, but he knew their son did not buy it.

Cresencia brought out a dessert platter filled with churros and hot chocolate. When they finished, he encouraged Isabella to return to her quarters. She placed her napkin on the table and turned to Diego. "Have you been keeping up with your piano lessons?"

The boy blushed. "Well, a little."

She chuckled. "I wish to hear you play, mi hijo."

Alejandro sighed and carried her to the small couch by the window. He fluffed the pillows behind her and fetched a blanket from the library. Settling in by her side, he listened to Diego's fluid playing.

As the melody filled the sala, he could almost picture his Isabella on the bench next to their son, gently correcting his mistakes and fingering the keys in a flawless duet. He could not even begin to count the number of times he came in from the rancho for lunch and found them together. Not wanting to disturb them, Alejandro would stand in the doorway listening until they noticed his presence.

Sometimes, he thought Isabella purposely ignored him just to have a few minutes longer with their son before he set out on one of his grand adventures. As Diego got older, his fascination with fencing and horses took precedence over his interests in music and reading.

Diego finished the last notes of composition and spun on the bench. "Is there another song you would like me to play, Mother?"

"No, mi hijo, but you play beautifully. You must promise me you will never give up the piano."

Diego grinned. "I promise."

Alejandro shifted in his seat. "I think this is enough excitement for–"

Isabella pressed a finger to his lips. Her eyes twinkled. "I heard the singing of Toledo steel on the patio from my room the other afternoon. I should be angry with you both for not inviting me to watch. Perhaps you can put on a demonstration for me tonight as an apology?"

Diego needed no further encouragement. He ran to fetch the practice foils.

"Isabella, you look exhausted."

"Trust me, mi marido, I know what I am doing."

With a mocking frown, he surrendered to her whims as he always had. Alejandro instructed the servants to light the patio torches. He scooped his wife into his arms and made her comfortable in a chair by the small tree she planted in the middle of the courtyard.

Diego returned and opened the case. The de la Vega men shed their jackets and he handed his father a foil. The boy flashed his teeth in a beaming smile and saluted. "En garde."

Alejandro returned the salute. "En garde."

Diego lunged and his father deftly blocked the attack. Their blades conversed back and forth, each enjoying the contest. Alejandro parried the tip snaking in and Diego redoubled his efforts.

The sound of glass shattering distracted them both.

Alejandro's head snapped toward the source. The goblet fell from his wife's limp hand and her head slumped forward. "Isabella?" He dropped the sword and closed the distance between them in two hurried steps. "Isabella?" Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Madre de Dios. Isabella!"


	3. Chapter 3

**The Enchanting Isabella**

**Chapter 3  
****"Doña Isabella's Legacy"**

The scent of freshly tilled earth assailed Alejandro's senses. Gentle breezes rustled the trees as warm sunshine and singing birds mocked this darkest of days in his life. His heart filled with anguish as he stared at the line of three tombstones.

Alejandro wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders and pulled him closer.

The grave of Doña Jordana de la Vega stood gleaming on the right. When his mother died, his father broke with tradition. Instead of burying his wife at the Mission San Gabriel, Don Diego chose to inter the love of his life on the rancho they built together. Jordana's spirited nature matched the untamed land they made their home. When Diego de la Vega passed away four years later, Alejandro and Cristóbal buried their father next to their mother.

Now, Alejandro's beloved Isabella joined them. When his day came, he took solace in knowing Diego would bury him next to her. They would be reunited together forever in eternity.

Padre Felipe opened his bible, but the sermon that followed was lost on his ears. Alejandro glimpsed the occasional concerned glances from Nacho and Luisa Torres and discerned little Elena keeping her eyes aimed on Diego, but the grieving don felt oddly numb. This entire affair swirled around him like a horrible nightmare – a nightmare from which he would never wake.

It all started when they rode with the casket to the pueblo. After a short service in the church, he and Diego, both trapped in the same disoriented haze, turned to acknowledge those in attendance. The sheer number of mourners who crammed inside the walls to honor his wife rendered Alejandro speechless. Everyone in attendance shared a story of how Isabella touched their lives.

Soldiers and merchants told of how the señora always had a warm smile and kind word for them. The natives at the mission looked forward to the stories she recited during her weekly visits with Diego. Little Margarita Cortazar disclosed how Isabella helped her cope with the loss of her own mother a year earlier. Capitán Linares recalled what a steadfast friend she was to his own late wife.

Alejandro always recognized his Isabella was special, but he never realized what a remarkable impact she left on Los Angeles. It made him overwhelmingly proud and sad all in the same moment, for it took her premature death for him to comprehend all of her remarkable achievements.

Hours ticked by when Alejandro and Diego departed to accompany the casket to the de la Vega rancho for a private burial. The plot had already been prepared, but the sight of the hole in the ground caused his stomach to churn. He observed the color drain from his son's face as the pallbearers lowered it into the ground.

When Padre Felipe's sermon ended, Alejandro thanked his old friend and accepted condolences from the close neighbors in attendance, dearly wishing Cristóbal could be here with him. He even yearned for Estevan and Isabella's other brothers to be at his side.

They proceeded to their horses where Alejandro and Diego joined the Torres family for dinner at their hacienda. When the evening concluded, father and son rode home together in silence.

Entering the gate, Alejandro may as well have been adrift in the middle of an ocean. He did not know what to do or where to go. Cresencia emerged from the house and greeted them with a kind smile, red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Glancing at the disoriented expression in Diego's eyes, a surge of helplessness hit him.

"I… I need to inform our family about…" he could not bring himself to finish the sentence. Patting his son on the shoulder, Alejandro headed for the library. Taking a seat at the desk, the books reminded him too much of his wife, so he gathered some parchment and writing utensils and moved to the sala.

Alejandro once thought writing to his brother and his in-laws to inform them of Isabella's illness was the most difficult letter he had ever composed. He knew now that he was sorely wrong.

Tears stained the parchment as he dipped the quill in the ink and began writing.

* * *

Cresencia delivered the tray brimming with drinks and snacks to the patio table. The rowdy group of boys descended on it like buzzards on carrion. She backed out of the massive flock and chuckled. Laugher and shouts filled the air. Oh, to be that age again! The housekeeper's shoulders bounced as she took in the sight before her.

Layers of dirt coated every inch of their bodies, including the youthful faces. She should have made them wash their hands first. A few sported cuts and bruises. Come evening, their mothers would lament the rips in their clothes while their fathers gloated of the derring-do. Her eyes narrowed. Were those cactus thorns sticking in Ramon's boots?

Cresencia prayed they did not attempt to jump the prickly pear patches again. She and Doña Isabella plucked too many of those pesky thorns from Diego as he squirmed under their hold to ever take a liking to those devilish plants. Why the horses did not have better sense than their masters was beyond her. She bit her lower lip to hide amusement; perhaps they did and that is how the boys ended unseated from the saddles.

Leaving the muchachos to whet their parched throats and fill their empty bellies, she climbed the stairs. Cresencia stopped outside the door and knocked. When no answer came, she knocked again – and again met with silence. She took a deep breath and boldly entered the room.

"Ah, there you are, my little señor."

"I am not little anymore."

"I apologize for my mistake, my big señor."

Diego failed to crack the faintest of smiles at the playful exchange. Sitting slumped in a chair, toying with the chess piece in his hand, he did not even turn his head to glance at her. The sight broke the housekeeper's heart. God did not bless her and her late husband with a child of their own, so she often regarded the de la Vega heir as the son they never had. It pained her to gaze at this hollow shell of a once exuberant adventurer.

"Several of your friends are downstairs, including Don Audre and Don Emilio."

"Please tell them I am unable join them."

Cresencia slipped into the chair across from him. "Don Audre and Don Emilio have visited almost every day hoping you will play with them. You barely said two words to Señorita Elena when Don Nacho and Doña Luisa stopped by yesterday. Tell me what is wrong."

Diego kept his head bowed. "Nothing is wrong."

"I will let you in on a little secret," she whispered, deciding to try a different approach. "Señoritas Moneta and Rosarita are a quite sweet on you." Diego blushed and Cresencia stifled a chuckle. "I bet if you asked, they would be happy to let you rescue them from the evil bandidos."

He put the chess piece on the board. "I do not wish to play soldiers and bandidos."

Cresencia sighed. For over a month, Diego moped around the hacienda, spending more and more time secluded in his room. He refused to see his friends, rarely picked up a fencing foil and only rode his horse when she coaxed him into fetching something from the pueblo. Even that became a challenge as time wore on. She feared that if she did not stir him from his growing despair soon, it might swallow him permanently.

With that thought at the forefront of her mind, the housekeeper threw propriety to the wind. "Not a day goes by that I do not miss your mother, Diego." Still with his head bowed, she heard him sniff tears away. Cresencia knelt next to him and held her charge in a tight embrace. "It is all right to miss her and to let the tears fall."

"I do miss her terribly," his voice quavered, "but I miss Father, too."

Stroking his hair, she muttered a silent curse. When he could wrench himself from that ridiculous fence, Don Alejandro spent every waking hour tending to the most minuscule of details on the rancho. Consumed by his own grief, he neglected the most important part of his life – his son.

"Father declined to go riding with me again." Diego scooted away and wiped the dampness from his red-rimmed eyes. "He has not fenced with me since… since…"

"Shh, it is all right," Cresencia soothed, knowing they had not crossed blades since Doña Isabella died. She suspected it reminded Don Alejandro too much of that horrible night. At a loss of what to say, she settled for pushing a loose curl off his forehead.

"Mother used to do that," he said with a lopsided grin, adding, "Sometimes it feels like I never see him."

Cresencia smiled, happy to see a spark of his former self. The gesture gave her the courage to continue on her bold path. "Diego, your father is hurting. He misses your mother dearly, just as much as you do. Unfortunately, he is not good when dealing with his grief."

"I know," Diego frowned, "Mother told me when Grandfather died that is why he spent all his time building that fence. She said if he could think clearly, it would actually have a purpose."

"Your mother was a shrewd woman." Cresencia winked. "How about we make a deal? I shall have a word with your father if you join your friends this afternoon." She rose from the floor and playfully scrutinized him. "Those clothes had better be caked in dirt when you return."

A dark shadow fell over his features. "I-I cannot."

She sighed, reluctant to push him too much. "Very well, I will inform them you are not feeling well."

"Gracias, Cresencia."

The housekeeper left her charge alone and returned to the patio with a heavy heart. Having devoured every last crumb on the tray, the boys crowded around her and fired off a simple question.

"Is Diego coming?"

Frowns formed on their faces when she shook her head and a chorus of groans followed when she informed the group Diego would not be accompanying them today. They filed out of the gate and mounted their horses under a gloomy cloud. Cresencia knew they missed the leader amongst them.

Returning to the table to retrieve the empty plates and cups, she heard a carriage slow to a stop outside. Padre Felipe entered and greeted her with a warm smile. "Buenos días, Cresencia."

Upon seeing her guest, she glanced upstairs and an idea took shape. Without replying, she grabbed the bewildered man by the arm and dragged him into the hacienda where she made an appeal for his help.

* * *

Alejandro leaned down to grab a handful of nails when he spotted the small cloud of dust taking shape in the distance. He recognized the familiar buggy drawn by a single gray horse as it drew closer. With a hammer in his grasp, he pushed his hat up and used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow before returning to work on the fence. The mare came to a stop behind him. Soft footsteps followed and he felt the inquisitive gaze of Padre Felipe on his back.

"No afternoon greeting, my friend?"

Alejandro ignored the voice and continued pounding the nails into the wood. When he finished securing the lower beam, he tossed the hammer to the dirt and retrieved another board from his wagon. He fitted the ends into the upper slots on the posts. With one gloved hand holding it in position, he stretched to gather his hammer and nails.

He continued to feel the eyes burning a hole in his back and bit his bottom lip to keep the sarcastic retort at bay. "Are you just going to stand there and stare?"

"Ah, so you did notice my presence," the padre quipped, his tone filled with jovial laughter.

Alejandro grumbled. "If you wish to be of use, you could help me."

Padre Felipe held the board in place while the don worked to secure it. Alejandro drove the final nail in and took a long drink from his canteen. He then moved toward the shovel. After measuring out the distance, he began digging a hole for the next post. A few mumbled curses escaped his lips as the blade struck buried rock.

"Alejandro, my friend, what are you doing?"

"What does it look I am doing? I am building a fence."

Padre Felipe rested his hand on the don's forearm and coaxed the tool from his grasp. He motioned to the ramrod straight barrier that stretched for sixty feet in the middle of wide-open land on the de la Vega rancho. "May I ask for what purpose? This is your property for as far as the eye can see."

"I do not need my cattle wandering off."

The padre arched an eyebrow. "The cattle can simply walk around it."

Alejandro took a deep breath and snatched his shovel back. "It is a work in progress!" He slammed it into the dirt and let out a yelp when he hit yet another rock and the handle wrenched from his grip. Tugging the glove off with his teeth, he massaged his sore thumb.

"When your mother died, I remember your father riding out here and dragging you home by the ear. He thought this was nonsense. I am surprised he did not order you to tear it down." Padre Felipe sighed. "When Don Diego passed on, Doña Isabella worried for your health, but she did not have the heart to drag you home. She confided to me how she thought you needed an outlet for your anger."

Swallowing hard, Alejandro turned and retreated. He reached for the beam to steady his wobbly knees and squeezed it as tight as he could. Emotions he spent weeks trying to bury fought their way to the surface, causing his body to tremble against its will. The mere mention of his Isabella made it hard to breathe.

"Alejandro, my friend," Padre Felipe placed his palm on the don's shoulder, "this is not healthy."

"Do not speak to me of things you know nothing about, Padre."

"Ah, so we are back to formalities, eh? Very well, Don Alejandro."

Tears welled in his eyes and he whispered, "You do not know how it feels to bury a wife."

"No, I do not," Padre Felipe admitted, "but I count you as one of my oldest and dearest friends. I still remember how strange and foreign this land appeared to the young friar who arrived in Los Angeles only days after disembarking the ship from Spain. You were the first to welcome me to your pueblo." He moved to face the troubled don. "I am here for you, just as God is waiting to help you heal."

"God," Alejandro snickered, raising his head to meet the gentle eyes. "Do not talk of God to me." He slammed a fist into the wood, ignoring the pain that shot up the length of his arm. "He had no right to take her from me!" Pushing past the padre, he came to a stop several yards away and choked back tears.

"This explains why you have not been to church recently." Padre Felipe followed him and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Anger is a natural reaction, Alejandro. Our Lord can bear your rage, and if you must, I can endure your anger, too. However, it is your son that brings me out here today."

Alejandro pivoted, fear clutching his heart. "Diego? Is he all right?"

"I suppose physically he is fine, but he is hurting the same as his father," he watched the don rub his tender hand, "and I do not mean from punching posts." The padre climbed to sit on the upper beam. "Diego has accompanied Cresencia to services, but that is the only time anyone sees him. Audre and Emilio tell me they cannot get him to join their games. Even Sergeant Garcia has expressed worry for your son. Despite the tricks the boys play on him, the sergeant is quite fond of the little rascal."

Alejandro blinked hard. Had Diego really withdrawn from his friends? He had no idea his son was not riding and exploring rocks and caves. Diego always enjoyed visiting the mission and playing with the other children. He used to look forward to the trips there with his mother.

His mother…

Tears stung his eyes. Alejandro may have lost his wife, but his son lost his mother. He remembered his own pain when it came to burying his parents. Isabella and his papá did their best to console him when his mamá died, but he never did truly come to terms with it.

When his father died two years ago, he turned his focus to this foolish fence. Sawing wood, digging holes and pounding nails kept his mind off the emptiness in his heart. Eventually, his sorrow became too much. Late one night, Isabella found him on his knees in the stables as he finally succumbed to his grief. She ran to his side and sank onto the hay, holding her husband close and encouraging him to cry on her shoulder.

His beloved Isabella never looked down on him for the display of weakness.

Alejandro pulled himself up on the fence next to the padre and slumped forward with his elbows on his knees. He cupped his head in his hands and whispered, "I have failed her."

"You could never fail Doña Isabella."

"Oh, but I have, Felipe. I promised her I would not pull away from our son," he crooked his head to gaze at his friend, "and that is exactly what I have done. Worse yet, I did not even notice."

"Now you have the opportunity to rectify that oversight."

A hollow laugh escaped Alejandro's throat. "I am a terrible father."

Padre Felipe chuckled, drawing a horrified look from the don. "A lapse in judgment made while grieving hardly makes you a terrible father, my friend. Diego worships you. Everyone in the pueblo sees it."

Alejandro smiled what felt like the first genuine smile in months. "The day Isabella…" he trailed off, realizing he had yet to voice these words aloud. Taking a deep breath, he pressed forth. "On the day Isabella died, I confessed to her how I feared for our son and his wild ways. A part of me wished to keep him locked away from harm, afraid that I would lose him, too. Now I would rather he come home covered in scratches and bruises than be consumed with this sadness that haunts us."

"You should tell this to him, not me."

"I will, Felipe, I will."

Padre Felipe grinned and patted his friend on the arm and a glimmer unbefitting a priest twinkled in his eyes. "Perhaps you two can renew your bond by knocking this monstrosity of a fence down. If it could be glimpsed from the road, your neighbors would petition for its destruction."

Alejandro laughed as he observed his work with a fresh outlook. "It is rather awkward, isn't it?" He made a vow right then and there to mend his relationship with his son. As they traversed the healing process together, he also vowed to demolish this symbol of his heartache. Isabella and his father deserved as much.

* * *

After leaving the horse and wagon to the care of the stable groom, Alejandro proceeded to the hacienda. Stepping through the gate, he surprised Cresencia. She stopped tending to the flowers and disappeared inside to fetch some wine for her patrón.

He climbed the stairs and knocked on his son's door, furrowing his brow when no answer sounded. According to Padre Felipe, Diego spent the majority of his days isolated in his quarters. He grasped the knob and entered. His chest tightened.

Diego sat slouched in a chair with a well-worn book in his grasp. Isabella loved to read to their son. The boy peered up from the pages and a glimmer of hope shone in those hazel eyes, mixing with the darkness of soul-crushing sorrow. He saw that own look reflected everyday in the mirror. Alejandro stiffened. Why did he allow it to consume Diego unchecked?

"Sí, Father?"

"Uh, I–"

Alejandro's gaze traced to the chessboard on the adjacent table. The pieces resided on the opening squares, awaiting a competition of wits – a competition Diego would never again engage in with his mother. The air swirling around him grew thick and he struggled to breathe. "Dinner will be ready soon, mi hijo. Wash up."

With those words, Alejandro escaped the suffocating room and shut the door in his wake, feeling like an utter fool. Dinner would not be ready for hours. He sighed at the pathetic excuse. When did he lose the ability to talk to his own son? He leaned against the wall for support as his body trembled. Diego looked so much like her…

When he regained his composure a few minutes later, the don descended the stairs. Cresencia waited by the small tree, disappointment plainly etched on her features. He wondered how much she saw.

The housekeeper motioned to the tray. "Your refreshments, Don Alejandro."

"I will take them in the sala."

He did not wait for her. Choosing a seat at his desk, he flipped open the accounting registers and started double-checking the numbers. Cresencia placed the tray on the edge and filled a glass with Rioja. He accepted it with a simple gracias.

Alejandro took a long sip of the red wine and set the goblet aside. As he focused on the recent sales, the numbers blurred before his eyes and he pushed the register away, cupping his head in his hands. Feeling a presence behind him, he shifted to find the housekeeper scrutinizing his every move.

"Does something require my attention, Cresencia?"

"No, Patrón." She picked up her skirts and started on the steps when she abruptly stopped, spun and strode forward with sheer determination. "Sí, there is a matter I wish to discuss with you. I am sorry, Don Alejandro, but I can hold my tongue no longer."

He arched a curious eyebrow at the uncharacteristic outburst.

"That boy upstairs needs his father. He mourns the loss of Doña Isabella alone. Don Diego refuses to play with his friends and no longer laughs or smiles. It pains me to have watched a happy, inquisitive child turn into a sad, forlorn recluse. Your son needs you and you fritter away on that silly fence."

Alejandro averted his eyes, unable to hold her reproachful glare. He wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Cresencia spoke the truth – the truth no one, save for Padre Felipe, dared say to his face. Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet. She scurried back as he strode to the door without a word and proceeded toward the stable.

* * *

The sun dipped lower in the horizon, casting the skies in hues of orange and pink. Slender tree branches danced amid the breezes drifting in from the west. Alejandro remained in the saddle and stared at the three grave markers. Finally dismounting, he dropped the reins and knelt before his wife's headstone.

"I am sorry, Isabella. I have failed you."

He played with a few blades of grass while his horse nibbled on weeds several yards away. The wind picked up and sent a chill running down his spine. He secured his hat when a gust nearly blew it off.

"You made me promise to be there for our son. I broke that promise."

Alejandro brushed some invisible specks of dirt from the marker. His fingers traced over the carvings of her name and tears once again welled in his eyes. He pulled the handkerchief from his jacket.

"I look at Diego and I see you. He is blessed with your eyes, your wavy hair and your sense of humor. He possesses your compassion, your desire to help others and most of all your patience. Oh, you had the patience of a saint, mi amor, to put up with me all these years."

He grinned, thinking of his many outbursts when Estevan played his tricks.

"It is funny, Isabella, when I spoke with Felipe this afternoon, he revealed you often lamented how Diego is too much like me. How he is the splitting image of his father and how he embodies my sense of honor and justice." Alejandro chuckled. "We are fortunate he inherited the best of his parents, though Sergeant Garcia might argue he is the worst of us."

For a fleeting second, he could hear her sweet giggle carried in the breeze.

"You might be interested to learn Cresencia gave me a rather harsh tongue lashing less than an hour ago. Sí, our Cresencia," he repeated, hardly believing it himself. "I cannot help but wonder if you somehow put her up to it. For a brief moment, it was your voice scolding me." The corners of his lips twitched with a smile. "I suppose you want me to give her a raise."

The brief moment of cheerfulness withered.

"I am ashamed to admit this, but it hurts deep in here," he touched his chest, "to look at Diego, for he reminds me so much of you when I should be grateful you continue to live on in our son." A tear trickled down his cheek. "I miss you, Isabella."

Alejandro dabbed his eyes with the handkerchief.

"I promise you now that I will make every effort to mend my deplorable behavior with Diego. I will be there for him. I will always be there for him. This is a promise I shall not break, mi amor."

The Palomino neighed, drawing his attention. He grinned when he recalled how his wife remained steadfast in choosing the breeding pair that gave birth to the steed. Others derided her choice, saying the stallion was too small and the mare too timid. Isabella ignored them all. The result was a golden Palomino unmatched in beauty and strength, who could outrace any horse in California. Estevan was also a frisky beast who enjoyed a mischievous caper, much like his namesake.

Isabella de la Vega held a sixth sense when it came to horses.

Alejandro laughed softly and shook his head. He wondered how Estevan would react upon learning his sister named her prized horse after him. Knowing his brother-in-law as he did, he could almost hear the rogue proclaiming he held the lawful right to such a beautiful animal.

"I pray you forgive me, Isabella, just as I pray Diego will also forgive me."

The don climbed to his feet, feeling older than his years. He ran his fingers along the stone one more time. "You will always own my heart, mi amor."

Alejandro gathered the reins, swung on the saddle and made the trek home.

* * *

Cresencia emerged from the hacienda just as Alejandro entered the gate. When she peered up from smoothing her apron, her eyes widened and she ducked back inside, eliciting a soft chuckle from the don. He would have to thank her, but right now, Diego came first.

Alejandro climbed the stairs two at a time. He knocked on his son's door and entered without waiting for a response. Diego had moved from the chair to his bed where he lay staring at the ceiling. The boy pushed up on his elbows in surprise. He smiled. "May I sit?"

Diego simply nodded.

As Alejandro took a seat on the edge of the mattress, his son swung his legs over the side and mimicked his position. Hiding his amusement, he clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Your mother would admonish me into the wee hours of the morning if she caught you in bed with your boots on."

"I am sorry, Father."

"Do not be sorry, mi hijo. She chastised me more than enough times for the same offense."

Diego gaped at him with a mix of astonishment and confusion on his face that made his father's heart sink. Since when did a small, good-humored exchange trigger such a strange reaction? They used to joke and tease one another all the time. Had he and Diego really grown so far apart in the past few weeks? Deep down, he knew the answer to be yes.

Alejandro sighed and struggled to find his next words as Diego focused on an invisible spot on the floor. "We have not really talked since your mother... since your mother died."

His son turned his head away and sniffed. "I am sorry, Father. I-I am trying to be strong like you."

It felt like someone punched him in the stomach. Is that what Diego thought? His father was being strong by burying his emotions? "Oh, no, mi hijo, do not think like that." Alejandro grasped his son's shoulders and forced him to meet his eyes. "I have not been strong. I have been foolish."

Diego wiped his cheeks and crinkled his brow.

"I miss your mother. Not a single second ticks by when I do not miss her." Alejandro bowed his head and rubbed the nape of his neck. "I feel so lost without her at my side," he met Diego's stare, "that is why I spend so much time constructing that silly fence. It keeps me busy so she does not enter my thoughts. Your mother always considered me an idiot for working on it and said as much to my face."

A laugh escaped Diego's throat. The sound warmed his father's heart.

"We are not so different, mi hijo. You keeping locked away in your room and me building that fence are ways we have tried to cope with losing your mother, but they are not healthy." Alejandro rested a palm on his son's knee. "If anyone around here should apologize, Diego, it should be me. It was wrong for me to pull away from you and leave you alone to mourn her death."

Diego nibbled his lower lip. "I miss her so much."

Alejandro wrapped his arm around his son and held him close. "I know, mi hijo. As do I."

"I have also missed you, Papá."

"For which I am forever sorry, Diego. I will make amends in any way I can."

They sat in tranquil silence until his son shifted to face him. Mischievous sparks glittered in those red-tinged hazel eyes, sparks purely the result of the de la Cruz blood that flowed in his veins.

"There is one way you can make it up to me." For a fleeting second, Alejandro feared his penance, having suffered the schemes concocted by Isabella and Estevan. Diego grinned when his father shot him a questioning gaze laced with anxiety. "We can go riding together in the hills tomorrow."

"Deal," Alejandro laughed with relief, "I have not forgotten that gray stallion you hope to capture."

"Forget the gray, Father," Diego's expression lit up, "there is a stunning black mare to the east of the rancho that runs as fast as the wind. I have never seen a coat so black and shiny. Mother glimpsed her once and said she gleams like the ebony keys on a piano."

"If she is as fast as the wind, how do you plan on catching her?"

"Simple," Diego puffed his chest out, "I will be faster than the wind."

Alejandro's laughter filled the bedroom. "We will certainly give it the de la Vega effort."

"There is one other thing…"

"Name it, mi hijo."

The boy tugged his ear while his sight traced to a long, polished wood box resting on the other side of the room. "We have not fenced since… Well, since mother died."

Alejandro sighed. The memory of that night was still too fresh in his mind. In the weeks following his wife's death, he had not once picked up a sword. Seeing the eagerness wash away and a shadow of sadness flirting with his son's features, the don affected a lopsided grin. "You mother loved to watch us cross blades."

Diego nearly bounced in place.

"The evenings were also her favorite time of day. She could stargaze until the wee hours. If the winds calm down and we can keep the torches lit, why do we not go at it on the patio after dinner, eh?"

Diego threw his arms around his father in a bear of an embrace. Alejandro returned the squeeze.

"Speaking of dinner, mi hijo, I will wager Cresencia is growing impatient waiting for us." For the first time since he lost his wife, his stomach grumbled with a hearty appetite.

They exited the room and descended the stairs with Alejandro keeping his arm around his son's shoulders while Diego maintained his own arm at his father's waist. When they reached the patio, he caught a glimpse of Cresencia at the window, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Perhaps we can also find time for a game of chess, Father."

"Do not push your luck, mi hijo."

"Mother said you need only to learn patience."

"Patience," Alejandro snorted, shaking his head. He glanced up at the last vestiges of daylight before they entered the sala. _You would be proud, Isabella. Our son will never give me a moment's peace._

* * *

Dinner barely concluded when Diego sprinted from his seat and ran to the window. The boy did not even wait for Cresencia to serve dessert. From the wide grin on the youthful face, Alejandro deduced the weather cooperated. He suspected his Isabella had something to do with the winds calming down.

Chuckling, he tossed his napkin on the table and joined his eager offspring in getting the torches ready.

Deep down, he looked forward to crossing blades with his son, despite the dark memories of the night that would haunt him forever. Alejandro missed the laughter and exuberance of the activity. He also suspected it would not be long before Diego bested his old man with ease. God blessed his son with agile reflexes, sharp eyes and an appetite to learn – all the traits of a fine swordsman.

As the last torch was placed in position, Cresencia emerged from the hacienda carrying a tray. Diego paused to glance at the mugs of hot chocolate, his mouth watering at the delightful aromas, but not even the delicious treat swayed him from his goal. He bounded up the stairs to fetch the practice foils.

Alejandro joined the housekeeper at the table and offered her a warm smile. "Gracias, Cresencia."

She returned the smile. "De nada, Don Alejandro."

"Just do not make a habit of lecturing me, eh?" he teased.

"Only when necessary, Patrón, you have my word."

Alejandro laughed. No wonder Isabella took such a liking to the housekeeper. The two women shared the same sly sense of humor. Diego flew down the stairs faster than he thought possible. He shook his head. If anyone could catch that black mare, it was his son.

Diego placed the polished box on the table and accepted a mug. "Gracias, Cresencia."

When she winked in return, Alejandro detected there was more to the simple thank you than met the eyes. Even Diego appreciated how she helped heal two de la Vegas. He was grateful for the loyal friends in his life, for he owed Cresencia and Felipe a debt of gratitude for their intervention.

Diego gulped the hot chocolate down faster than he took the stairs. It reminded Alejandro all too much of a certain soldier and his wine. For a fleeting second, he wondered just how much time the boy spent in the company of Sergeant Garcia. Before he could ponder the notion too long, Diego exchanged the mug for the foils. He passed the first to his father.

Alejandro savored the swish of the blade in the air and saluted. "En garde."

Returning the salute, Diego flashed a wide, toothy grin. "En garde."

In all his years of fencing, Alejandro had never seen a man so thrilled by competition as his son. One day, that grin would serve Diego well and intimidate his opponents. It nearly unnerved his father.

A series of attacks and blocks ensued, entwined with laughter and boasting. As the singing of Toledo steel filled the patio, Isabella de la Vega watched over her family from the heavens above and smiled. Nothing could destroy the bond father and son shared.

**The End**


End file.
